“Mouline is a remarkable scholar of the Muslim world, an erudite Arabist, a well-read scholar of Islamic literature, and a sound social scientist. This book has a wide potential readership in English, due to its breakthrough character.”—Gilles Kepel, author of Jihad: The Trail of Political Islam
~Gilles Kepel
“Nabil Mouline offers the most sophisticated analysis to date of the religious sphere in Saudi Arabia. In particular, he details the rise and history of the religious establishment and its complex relationship with the political authority in Riyadh. The Clerics of Islam represents an original, vivid and nuanced reading of Wahhabism because its author has carefully read the primary sources and met with many of the kingdom’s leading clerics. It is a must read for anyone wishing to understand the nexus between religion and power in modern Arabia.”—Bernard Haykel, Princeton University
~Bernard Haykel
“Based on rich primary sources and field research, this book unearths data thus far not accessible to Western researchers. The topic is relevant not only for specialists of Saudi Arabia, but for everyone with an interest in politics and religion, and the politics of religious actors and institutions in particular.”— Steffen Hertog, London School of Economics
~Steffen Hertog